Readiness to recover in adolescent anorexia nervosa:: prediction of hospital admission

Objectives: To determine if motivation to change in anorexia nervosa during treatment is a predictor of hospitalisation in adolescent patients. Method: The Anorexia Nervosa Stages of Change Questionnaire (ANSOCQ), the Eating Disorders Inventory-2 (EDI-2) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to a group of 70 anorexia nervosa patients (mean age 15.6 years). They were all receiving treatment at a specialised Eating Disorder Unit and were at different points in the treatment programme. Admission during 6-9 month follow- up was recorded in 63 of these patients who had been admitted to the Unit. The other 7 patients were contacted by phone to determine if they had been hospitalised in another unit during the follow- up period. Results: Patients who needed hospital admission during follow-up had higher mean scores at first evaluation on some of the EDI-2 scales and on the BDI, lower ANSOCQ scores and were more likely to have been outpatients at first evaluation. In the logistic regression analysis a low ANSOCQ score and being an outpatient at first evaluation were shown to be independent predictors of hospitalisation during follow- up. Conclusions: Low motivation to change, depressive symptomatology and some EDI-2 scales are related to the necessity of hospital admission in adolescent patients with anorexia nervosa.